After undergoing five weeks of life-threatening pneumonia treatment, a weakened Pope Francis has returned to the Vatican. Before returning to his residence, he made a special trip to his favorite basilica and will follow doctors' orders to rest and recover for the next two months, focusing on regaining his strength.
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03-26, 2025On Sunday morning (Sunday evening Australian Eastern Daylight Time), the motorcade carrying the 88-year-old Pope entered Vatican City through the Perugino Gate. Francis was seen sitting in the front passenger seat with an oxygen tube in his nose to assist his breathing, showing the need for continued respiratory support.
On his way back to the Vatican from Gemelli Hospital, Francis detoured to the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. It houses his favorite icon of the Virgin Mary, which he visits to pray after every overseas trip. Francis did not get out of the car but handed a bouquet of flowers to a cardinal, asking him to place it before the icon of Salus Populi Romani, a Byzantine-style wooden image deeply revered by the people of Rome.
Before leaving the hospital, Francis was pushed in a wheelchair onto a balcony overlooking the main entrance, where he gave a thumbs-up and waved to the crowd. Hundreds of people gathered on the sunny Sunday morning to bid him farewell. "I saw that lady with the yellow flowers. Wonderful!" said a tired and slightly puffy-faced Francis. He weakly made the sign of the cross before being wheeled back inside.
The crowd erupted in cheers of "Viva il Papa!" and "Pope Francis," which included some patients who had been wheeled outside just to catch a glimpse of the Pope. Doctors announced his discharge plans at a press conference on Saturday evening (Sunday morning Australian Eastern Daylight Time), stating that he needed two months of rest and recovery, during which he should avoid meeting large groups of people or overexerting himself. However, they expressed confidence that he should eventually be able to resume all normal activities.
This was the longest hospital stay of his 12-year papacy and the second-longest in modern papal history. His return brought tangible relief to the Vatican and Catholic faithful, who had anxiously followed the ups and downs of his 38-day illness and feared whether he would recover, highlighting the global concern for his health.
"Today I feel very happy," said Dr. Rossella Rusomando from Salerno, who did not treat Francis but was also at Gemelli Hospital on Sunday. "This is proof that all our prayers, all the rosaries from all over the world, have brought this grace," indicating the widespread spiritual support he received.
On Sunday, pilgrims flocked to St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican as they do every year for the Jubilee Year 2025. They thronged St. Peter's Square, passing in droves through the Holy Door, while large television screens in the square broadcast live greetings from Francis at the hospital, showing the continued preparations for the upcoming event.
No special arrangements were made at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Vatican hotel adjacent to the basilica where Francis lives in a two-room suite on the second floor. Francis will have access to supplemental oxygen and 24-hour medical care as needed, but his personal physician, Dr. Luigi Carbone, said he hopes that as Francis's lungs recover, he will gradually reduce his need for respiratory assistance, aiming for a return to independent breathing.
While the pneumonia infection has been successfully treated, Francis will continue to take oral medication for quite some time to treat a fungal infection in his lungs and will continue to undergo respiratory and physical therapy. "For three or four days, he has been asking when he could go home, so he is very happy," said Carbone, underscoring the Pope's eagerness to return to his normal life.
The Argentine Pope, who suffers from chronic lung disease and had part of a lung removed when he was younger, was admitted to Gemelli Hospital on February 14 after a bout of bronchitis worsened. Doctors initially diagnosed a complicated bacterial, viral, and fungal respiratory infection, and shortly thereafter, he was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia. Blood tests revealed signs of anemia, low platelets, and kidney failure, which were alleviated after two blood transfusions.
The most serious setback began on February 28, when Francis suddenly coughed violently and inhaled vomit, requiring the use of a non-invasive mechanical ventilation mask to help him breathe. He experienced two more respiratory crises a few days later, and doctors needed to manually extract "a large amount" of mucus from his lungs. Since then, he has been sleeping with a ventilation mask at night to help his lungs clear accumulated fluid, aiding in his recovery.
He never underwent intubation and never lost consciousness. Doctors reported that he remained alert and cooperative throughout, although they said he may have lost some weight due to a natural decrease in appetite, showing his resilience during the ordeal.
"Unfortunately, yes, there was a time when many people were saying that he might not make it. It was painful for us," said Mario Balsamo, owner of a coffee shop across from Gemelli Hospital. "Instead, today he was discharged, and we are very happy that he is healthy, and we hope he recovers quickly and regains his strength," reflecting the local community's concern and relief.
Sergio Alfieri, the director of medical and surgical services at Gemelli Hospital, who coordinated Francis's medical team, emphasized that not all patients who contract such severe bilateral pneumonia survive, let alone get discharged. He said Francis's life was in danger twice, during the two acute respiratory crises, at which times the Pope understandably lost his usual sense of humor, highlighting the severity of his condition.
"But one morning we went to listen to his lungs, and we asked him how he was feeling. When he answered 'I'm still alive,' we knew he was okay and had recovered his sense of humor," he said, showing the Pope's regained spirit as a positive sign.
Alfieri confirmed that Francis still has difficulty speaking due to damage to his lungs and respiratory muscles. However, he said these problems are normal, especially in elderly patients, and predicted that his voice would eventually return to normal, offering a hopeful outlook for his full recovery.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni declined to confirm any upcoming events, including a planned meeting with King Charles III on April 8 or Francis's participation in Easter ceremonies at the end of the month. However, Carbone said he hopes Francis will be well enough to travel to Turkey at the end of May for an important ecumenical anniversary event, showing optimism for the Pope's near-future engagements.
Francis's return to the Vatican coincides with the Jubilee Year. The celebration, held every quarter of a century, is expected to draw more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome this year. The Pope has already missed several Jubilee audiences and will likely miss more, but Vatican officials said his absence has not significantly affected the expected number of pilgrims arriving, suggesting the event's popularity remains strong.
Only John Paul II recorded a longer hospital stay in 1981, when he spent 55 days at Gemelli Hospital for minor surgery and treatment for an infection, emphasizing the exceptional length of Pope Francis's recent hospitalization.
